Improvement in earth-boring apparatus



2 Sheets-Sheet l.

H. & J. KELLY.

EARTH-BORING APPARATUS. No.176,008. Patented. April 11, 1876.

NJEIERS. PNOTO-UTHOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. D c,

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. &. J. KELLY. EARTH-BORING APPARATUS.

Patented April 11, 1876* J72 0672 to m:

// 27/ze o a e a:

"PETERS, PHOTO-LITHQGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. 0 c.

UNITED STATES PATENT CFFIGE.

HENRY KELLY AND JOSEPH KELLY, OF OSAGE, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN EARTH-BORING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 176,008,!lated April11, 1876; application filed February 7, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY KELLY and JOSEPH KELLY, of Usage, in thecounty of Mitchell and State of Iowa, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Earth-Boring Machinery, of which the following is aspecification:

Our invention has reference to the parts of a combined portable machinefor drilling and boring wells, and to the mach nery for operating thesame; and the nature of our improvements will be fully understood fromthe following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of machine embodyingour improvements; Fig. 2, an elevation of the machine as seen from theopposite side 5 Fig. 3, a top view, Fig. 4, detail views of thepressure-lever, being section, perspective, and bottom views; Fig. 5, adetail view of the detent for holding down the main lever. when out ofoperation; Fig. 6, the auger enlarged; and Fig. 7, top view of detent.

A A is a strong frame, at one end of which is a tall standard or mast,G, and at the top of this standard is a pulley, I), over which passesthe rope or chain E, which suspends the drill. This rope passes frompulley D down around a pulley, R, in a bearing, S, swiveled upon themain lever T, and thence around a roller, U, up to a cast-iron roller,V, of same length as roller U. To this cast-iron roller V the end oftherope is secured, and on it'itis wound and unwound in the variousoperations of the machine. On the main shaft Y are the rigid arms Z,provided with friction-rollers a. a, which impinge in the rotation ofthe main shaft upon the end of the main lever T, and at each revolutionof the main shaft press down the main lever T, thus drawing down therope E, which passes over the pulley 1) and hangs down into. the hole inthe rock, and at the end of which is fastened the heavy rod and drill,thus elevating the drill, and as the rigid arms pass the main lever itis released, and the drill is allowed to fall with great force on therock to be penetrated, and at each revolution of the main shaft theoperation is repeated. There is a very great strain on the rigid arms Zon the main shaft Y. These rigid arms are ordinarily made in twoseparate pieces bored out to fit the shaft, and fastened thereon bymeans of keys and key-seats at the proper distance from each other topermit the introduction of the rollers a a. This construction rendersthem liable to work loose, so that they get out of line with each other,and the rolls a a angle across the machine and do not work well. Toobviate this difficulty we cast the arms Z in a single piece, andusually cast them on the shaft Y, so that they cannot work loose or getout of line, and the boring out and key-seating and keying up of thearms are dispensed with or they maybe cast in a single piece and boredout and keyed on the shaft.

When for any cause it is desired to raise the drill out of the hole, therollerV is revolved by means of the chaifi connection with the mainshaft, and the roller in revolving winds up the rope, and thus raisesthe drilL' In this operation it is necessary that the main shaft shouldrevolve to give the motion desired, and it is also necessary that themain lever T should not work, the oscillating motion of the main levernot being desirable at this time. This is accomplished by providing atthe rear end of the frame a detent, p, sliding in a guide, q, andoperated through a rock crank-shaft, r, and hand-lever thereon, and areacting spring, 8. When it is desired to hold the lever T down thelever is depressed, and its lower corner being rounded, as shown, itfalls readily into engagement with the detent.

When the heavy rod and drill have been let back into the hole again, andit is desired to commence drilling, the lever T is released by drawin gand holding back the detent by means of the hand -lever r, thus allowingthe free motion of the leverl. WVhen it becomes necessary to clean outthe'drillings, it is done by means of a sand-pump, F, Fig. 1, with avalve bottom attached to a rope, G, that passes up over the pulley a onthe standard 0, down to and is wound on the Windlass h, which is0perated by connection with the running parts of the mechanism.

A large gear-wheel, b, on the shaft Y, nieshes with a small one, 0, onshaft 01, which also carries a fiy-wheel, c, and pulley f, the lattercommunicating motion, when desired, to the pulley g and Windlass itthrough abeltyt, which By tightening the belt "5 the Windlass h isthrown into operation from the driving-shaft, and the sand-pump, beingfull, is raised and emptied, and, byloosening the belt, is loweredagain, and the horse or other power does not need to stop; but the poweris used just when and where it is needed, thus making this op eration apart of the function of the machine, instead of raising and lowering thesand-pump by hand or other independent power, as is usually done.

It is evident that instead of the belt and pulley gearing f g 11 andbelt-tightener j 70, any other gearing capable of being disconnected, soas to throw the Windlass h into and out of operation at will, may beused.-

For earth-boring, the bracket-frame B B is detaohably secured to thestrong frame A A at its upper end, carrying the auger-shaft H, which issquare or angular in cross-section throughout its length, and has uponits lower end a fixed cutter, Z. Upon a horizontal support, B, of thebracket-frame, lies the bevelgear wheel I, having its gear sideuppermost, and an elongated hub, J, projecting downward through thesupport B. This bevelwheel I has a square or angular hole through itscenter, through which passes the shaft H, and it consequently rotateswith said shaft, while permitting the vertical motion of said shaftthrough it. The bevel-wheel I derives its motion from a bevel-pinion, K,on a short horizontal shaft, which connects with the motive power, andcarries a pulley, J. This pulley is movable on the shaft, and has arecessed face engaging with a key or pin, a, so-that it may be engagedor disengaged by means of'a lever or other suitable means, (not shown,)to throw the auger into or out of operation at will. The shaft H carriesupon it a flanged collar, L, which has a square or angular hole madethrough it to fit the shaft, so that the collar must turn with theshaft, and at the same time is capable of vertical adjustment.

A setscrew, m, is used to fix the collar at any desired height upon theshaft. This flanged collar serves as a bearing for a pressure-lever, M,one end of which engages with the perpendicular rack N, screwed upon.the standard 0. The other end of thelever serves as a handle, by whicha man may produce and regulate at will a downward pressure on the shaftin boring, and consequently may force the auger into the earth fasterorslower, as may be found best. The middle of the lever M is formed into ayoke, M embracing the shaft H. The opening of the yoke M is closed by ahook, M which prevents the lever from slipping out of place, and securesan even pressure on both sides of the flanged collar -L. Each arm of theyoke M is provided beneath with friction-rollers d, resting on theflange of the collar L, sothat the shaft and collar may rotate freely,while the collar forms a continuous bearing for the lever M. Theadjustable collar and the rack on the standard 0 enable the operator toadjust the lever to the ascent or descent of the shaft H. To theelongated downwardly-projecting hub J on the bevel-wheel I, below itshorizontal support B, is attached a hook, O, on which is hung the chainP, connected to the auger Q. This auger has the ordinary spiral blade,and has a square or angular bearing on the shaft H, like the bevel-wheeland collar, and likewise turnswith the shaft while slipping freely upand down on it.

The rope or chain E passes from .the roller V around the roller U andpulley R, up and over the pulley D on the standard 0, and when boringearth the rollerV derives its motion from the shaft B through connectionwith the horizontal shaft V by cog-gear W W.

The operation of the earth-boring mechanism is as follows: The auger Q,being placed on the lower end of the shaft H, by connection with themotive power is revolved, and penetrates the earth, being aided by thepressure of the lever M upon the collar L. While the anger is working,the pulley or chain-wheel J is disengaged from the pin a, and thus theconnection between the motive power and the rope-roller V is severed,causing the rope-roller to be idle. When the anger is full thebevel-pinion I is disengaged from the horizontal shaft by any suitabledevice, (not shown,) and the shaft H ceases to revolve. The chain. P isnow detached from the hook O, and hooked or otherwise connected with thechain or rope E, passing over the pulley in top of standard 0, and thepulley or chain wheel J is put into engagement with the pin a, andconnection is thus made between the motive power and the rope-roller V,causing the latter to revolve, winding up the rope'E, and raising theauger Q, filled with earth, out of the hole. A platform, slotted for theadmission of the shaft H, is introduced under the auger, and the earthis emptied upon it. The platform is then removed and the auger let downagain. The chain P again hung upon hook O, the windlass V isdisconnected and the pinion K thrown into engagement for operating theauger, and the process of boring goes on. The shaft H is made insections, and one section after another is added, according to the depthof the well, and this shaft remains extending down into the well, andthe auger sliding up and down it, till the well is 'finished, when thewhole is drawn up, the shaft H being taken apart section by section asit comes up.

We claim-- 1. The arms Z on the shaft Y, east or otherwise formed in asingle piece, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The arms Z, when cast solidly on the shaft Y, substantially as setforth, and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the lever T, of the detent p, operated throughrock crank-shaft and lever r, and reacting spring 8, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the Windlass 71. and the rope G, to which thesand-pump F is attached, with the power connecting and applying devices6 c b of the running parts of the machine, whereby the Windlass It maybe operated at will, and the sand-pump may be automatically lowered andraised or thrown out of operation, substantially as described, and forthe purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the lever T, of the spring-catch device 12,arranged to yield when struck by the lever and pass above it, wherebythe movement of thelatter is arrested, and it is held down out of theway while the machine is being used for other purposes, substantially asset forth.

6. The frame B B, supporting the boring maehanism, and made detachablefrom the main frame A of the machine, substantially as set forth.

7. The adjustable collar L on the shaft H, in combination with thepressure hand-lever and rack, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

8. The combination, with the shaft H and collar L, of the lever M,formed at its middle into an open yoke, M and provided with the hook Msubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. The lever M, formed at its middle into a yoke, M and provided withfriction-rollers d, in combination with the flanged collar L andrevolving shaft H, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. The combination, with the boring-shaft H and the auger Q, of.therope P, attached to the hook 0 of the bevel-wheel hub J while boring,and detached therefrom for conneotin g with the rope E, for raising saidanger, as herein set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have aflixed our signaturesin presence of two witnesses.

HENRY KELLY. JOSEPH KELLY.

